2025 Visit California Outlook Forum Recap

AI disrupting discovery. Evolving traveler priorities. Shifting market dynamics.

The travel landscape is changing fast, and tourism marketing professionals from across California gathered to keep pace at this year’s Visit California Outlook Forum. Held March 3-5 at the JW Marriott L.A. Live in Los Angeles, the event brought together DMOs and industry partners looking to turn the latest trends into practical marketing strategies.

The forum packed a lot of good information into three days, with sessions covering everything from sustainability practices to luxury travel definitions to international market challenges. Notably, Los Angeles demonstrated its resilience and readiness by flawlessly hosting this large-scale industry gathering at the JW Marriott L.A. Live, sending a clear message that LA is very much open for business despite the challenges of recent months. 

The city’s ability to execute such a significant event underscored what Carolyn Betetta highlighted in her keynote that perceptions about the impact of LA’s fires were vastly overblown, with visitors believing 70-80% of the city was affected when the actual figure was closer to 1%. For California’s tourism marketers dealing with budget constraints and changing visitor expectations, the conference provided clear takeaways and actionable insights to help improve ROI in today’s competitive environment.

Here’s a breakdown of the key takeaways that stood out during the event.

Riding the Wave: Key Travel Trends Shaping 2025

Carolyn Beteta, the head of Visit California, kicked off the forum with insights on accomplishments from the past year while addressing challenges like the recent LA fires. 

Beteta highlighted several emerging travel trends that will shape visitor expectations in the coming year. Economic uncertainty, inflation and rising travel costs are impacting consumer spending, but travel remains a priority for many. This has led to a rise in road trips, which continue to be a favored mode of travel, particularly among younger generations and budget-conscious travelers.

Experiential and cultural travel dominated many conversations at the forum. Travelers increasingly seek authentic and immersive activities that allow them to connect deeply with destinations. They want to engage with local culture in meaningful ways rather than just checking off tourist attractions.

One interesting trend gaining momentum is JOMO (Joy of Missing Out), where travelers are prioritizing tranquility and mindfulness. These visitors seek destinations that offer peace and a break from digital connectivity, focusing on unplugged experiences that provide respite from their fast-paced routines.

AI’s influence on travel planning was another hot topic. The integration of booking features in social media platforms is allowing influencers to play a larger role in the booking phase. 

However, AI often generates canned responses that disappoint travelers seeking unique experiences. When asking about “4 days in Los Angeles,” users receive only traditional recommendations requiring extra effort to discover specialized options that many won’t make. This challenges destinations offering distinctive experiences that don’t appear in generic AI results. 

Many DMOs remain hesitant to adopt AI due to these limitations yet it represents the future of travel planning. The key question becomes how destinations can leverage smarter AI to deliver meaningful travel experiences, support stewardship plus satisfy visitors’ craving for authenticity.

Luxury Travel: Redefining the Experience

The luxury travel niche market session offered several surprising insights that challenged traditional notions of what luxury means to today’s travelers. Luxury is taking on different meanings and there’s diversity in its definition. It doesn’t have to be totally over-the-top, really fancy or really ostentatious. It can be just more focused on exclusivity.

Today’s luxury travelers seek authentic experiences that create lasting memories rather than just opulent accommodations. They’re drawn to exclusivity without ostentation; luxury without showing off. Interestingly, luxury doesn’t need to be present the whole trip. Travelers might stay in luxury accommodations but spend their days engaging in many of the same types of experiences as more budget-focused travelers. 

The session highlighted that younger audiences are increasingly seeking luxury travel, expanding the market beyond traditional demographics. Wellness travel is also rising among luxury travelers, with many seeking opportunities to digitally detox. Social connection matters, too, as these travelers want to engage with like-minded people.

Sustainability is becoming a key factor for luxury travelers who are increasingly making values-based choices with higher expectations for brand responsibility. The session was particularly eye-opening about how accessible luxury travel is becoming versus previously being limited to specific hotels, brands or experiences.

Sustainability Takes Center Stage

Sustainable travel emerged as a fundamental concern across multiple sessions at the forum. According to data presented, 81% of travel managers are now incorporating sustainability into their planning. Consumer demand is driving this shift, with 81% of consumers willing to switch from brands that neglect the environment, 55% relying on brands to raise awareness of environmental issues, 70% valuing sustainability more than they did two years ago and 76% expecting brands to reduce their carbon footprint.

The session introduced the 4 C’s of Sustainability (Conservation, Community, Commerce and Culture) as a framework for destinations to approach sustainable tourism practices.

San Francisco and Palm Springs shared their success stories as sustainable tourism leaders. San Francisco highlighted their LEED-certified venues and hotels, clean energy and transportation initiatives, zero waste and plastic-free policies, sustainable meetings and events, green venue water refill stations and their community and industry collaboration. Palm Springs demonstrated how they’ve implemented the 4 C’s framework with specific initiatives in each category.

A significant insight was that success should be measured not just by visitor numbers but by positive impact on local communities and places. The future of destination marketing is shifting from promotion to protection, moving from a growth-focused mindset to a sustainability-driven approach. Destinations must find the balance between local needs, business priorities and brand perception.

Global Perspectives: Navigating International Markets in Uncertain Times

International travel remains vital to California’s tourism economy, bringing diverse perspectives and significant spending to the state. The forum featured a comprehensive series of market-specific sessions exploring opportunities and challenges across multiple regions. Among the many international markets discussed, several notable trends emerged that illustrate the diverse landscape facing tourism marketers.

Market Snapshots

The sessions revealed varying dynamics across different regions. Australia showed strong potential with 77% being repeat visitors to California, while nearby Asian markets like Japan demonstrated remarkable growth with a 57% increase in visitors over just one year.

European markets presented their own unique characteristics. The United Kingdom, despite economic pressures affecting spending power, continues to prioritize travel with particular interest in road trips, cultural experiences and sustainable options. Market fragmentation presents both challenges and opportunities for targeted messaging.

North American neighbors like Canada illustrated how quickly market conditions can shift. With 81% of Canadians supporting a “Buy Canadian” movement and political factors affecting sentiment toward US travel, tourism marketers received guidance on alternative approaches such as leveraging Canadian expats as brand advocates.

These examples represent just a sampling of the valuable international insights shared across numerous market sessions. The forum emphasized the importance of nuanced, region-specific strategies rather than one-size-fits-all approaches to international marketing, with detailed intelligence provided on visitor behaviors, preferences and barriers across global markets.

Meaningful Connections: Conversations Create Lasting Partnerships

Beyond the formal sessions, the forum provided valuable opportunities to connect with Noble’s industry partners and clients. These interactions often yielded as many insights as the scheduled programming.

One particularly memorable evening unfolded at the hotel bar before the official dinner. The team invited all the clients to join them, creating a fun atmosphere where everyone was connecting. Our partners at Visit San Luis Obispo and Yosemite Mariposa County joined us along with Filoli Historic House & Garden, Destination Irvine and The San Francisco Peninsula. Everyone engaged in lively conversation that flowed naturally from professional topics to personal interests, including their dogs. Watching everyone take part in the conversation and letting loose with a glass of wine created a valuable bonding experience that strengthened client relationships.

Turning Insights into Action

The 2025 Visit California Outlook Forum provided valuable insights to inform strategies for the coming year. From the rise of experiential travel to the growing importance of sustainability, these trends point to an industry that continues to evolve in response to changing consumer preferences and global challenges.

For destinations and tourism marketers, the key lies in authenticity, creating value and embracing sustainability in ways that resonate with both visitors and local communities. The focus on road trips, cultural experiences and meaningful connections offers opportunities to develop compelling offerings that speak to today’s travelers.

Want to learn how these insights can strengthen your destination’s marketing strategy? Contact us today to explore how we can help you navigate the changing tourism landscape and turn these trends into tangible results for your organization.